Another Side of Paradise
by mat528
Summary: Danny shares more than just his job with Kono after losing a bet. ON TEMPORARY HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

ANOTHER SIDE OF PARADISE

**A/N: Not really much of an author's note here, but I wondered how a romance between Kono and Danny would be, simply because I saw some Steve/Danny ones, and I figured I'd try something different. If you don't like that for various reasons (such as, he's too old; she's too young,) DON'T READ.**

**For the purposes of this story, I have played around with their ages just a smidge. Also, Danny has two middle names.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own jack squat, except my story. Hawaii Five 0 is owned by CBS, based on L. Freeman's characters.**

Kono Kalakaua studied the cards she held in her long, shapely fingers. Her dark eyes left the ones in her hand and darted from her cousin to her fellow teammates, Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams, but they were well versed in poker face techniques, and she could not read their emotions at all. Kono was wondering if maybe, just maybe, her cousin had set her up by practically insisting that she play a card game with her fellow officers. She knew that Chin was _dying _to sample the food at the _Top View of Oahu _restaurant and, given the expense, not dying to pay for the food there.

So, here she was, playing poker with the fellows and enjoying herself immensely whilst trying to figure out which cards Steve, Danny and Chin had in their hands.

"So, what do you all have?" Danny asked, smiling just a little.

Chin Ho Kelly said, "Three sevens and two eights."

Steve chuckled, but was otherwise silent. When his turn came, he threw down his cards on the table and said, "Four jacks, read that and weep." His eyes flicked to Danny and Kono as Chin folded on his hand.

"Speaking of houses, Manalua's House of Barbecue serves some of the best barbeque pork in Hawaii," Steve told his friends, his mind conjuring up an image of eating himself sick with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, well…" Danny said, "it ain't over 'til the Fat Lady sings." The blond cop smirked a little, his blue eyes lighting up with mischief.

"Deal me another," Kono requested. Steve fished out a card from the back of the deck and handed it, face down, to her. She knew what she needed to win the game.

_Sure hope it's..._She thought; then, she looked at the card without showing it. When she placed the card with the others, forming her winning hand, Kono smiled inwardly as she fingered them.

_I've got you now, _she thought triumphantly toward all of her teammates. "Man, Danno!" Steve protested, misreading Danno's expression. Danny ignored the leader of Five 0, focusing all his attention on Kono.

"Put up or be forever indebted to me," Danny told her.

Now it was her time to smirk, as Chin raised his brow, saying, "Forever? As I recall, the bet was that the one with the worst hand would take the winner out to lunch wherever he, or she, wanted to go."

"And, with that word from my cousin gentlemen," Kono said with flourish, "ta daaaa!" She threw her royal flush down on the table. While Steve and Chin groaned, Danny revealed the worst hand she'd ever seen: one two, one three, one four and two fives.

"Guess we know who the victim will be," Steve said while Chin snickered. "Better luck next time, Danno."

"You're gonna need it," Chin Ho said to Danny. "My cousin may look like she's a vegetarian, but she packs down quite a bit of regular food. You, ah, need us to help cash in your T bills for the grand total the waiters will give you when she's finished eating lunch?"

Kono gave her fellow relative a look which stated, _say one more thing about my eating habits and you'll be next on the menu!_

"Okay you two," Steve said, micromanaging the pair, "me and Chin want details; _extensive _details, got it?"

"Oh, yeah, we got it," Danny said as he rose from his seat. "I'll take a porno shot afterwards and send it to you two at Christmas."

"You know how the S. S. Arizona is buried under Pearl Harbor?" Kono asked, smiling, before Chin Ho could kill Danny.

"Yeah," Danny told her, adding, "so?"

"So maybe there'll be someone new buried under the Harbor when I get my hands around your neck," Kono said to Danny. "And I mean that in the nicest possible way."

Steve and Chin exchanged a glance, both smiling at each other. _This _was gonna be _fun!_

"All right, you gotta take her out before noon Friday, since Wednesday is a pay day, Danno, and no welching on the bet," Steve said. "Those are the rules."

Danny assumed a mock hurt expression and said, putting his fingers on his chest, "_Moi? _I've never welched on a bet in my life!" His eyes found Kono, promising an afternoon of fun and possibly something more.

Kono just patted her pocket where her handcuffs were stored. If need be, she knew how to restrain Mr. Daniel B. J. Williams.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning was usual for the Five 0 team. After deflating a counterfeit ring and putting a madam behind bars, the time was fast approaching for the lunch Danny was dreading. He kept telling himself that it was just Kono, his teammate, and lunch was no big deal. The blond cop pictured drilling his pencil though his head, but somehow, he didn't think that would get him off the hook. He was so wrapped up in his apprehension that he failed to see Chin Ho sitting on the side of his desk.

Before Danny placed the pencil back in the drawer, Chin grabbed it from his hands. When Danny looked up, Kono's cousin stared at him with determined dark eyes, making sure the fellow cop would remember everything he was about to say.

"Danny, I want to talk," he said. The other cop nodded.

"I hope you understand, I'm rooting for you guys," Chin Ho told his friend and coworker.

Danny relaxed a little in his seat. "Thanks, Chin," he said sincerely. "That really means a lot."

The Hawaiian cop fingered the pencil, shaking it up and down as he said, "But if you screw this up…if my cousin is in any way dissatisfied and unhappy I will personally come and separate your head from its shoulders. Got that?"

Really nervous, Danny swallowed. "Got it," was all he managed. Chin Ho deposited the pencil in Danny's side pocket, patting it, and he walked away.

"Steve, I need to…" Danny told his partner.

"Yeah, I know," Steve said. "Go home. Figure out what you'll wear." Smirking, Steve added, "you'll probably want to wear something more casual."

Danny gave him a look, and as he rose to leave the office, ran right into Kono. She looked like she always did, from her moss green t to her hip hugging denims. For a moment, neither cop said anything. They both looked at each other; then, Kono gazed down at the shiny floor. She shuffled her feet, clearly anxious about something.

"Hey, K," Danny said. "You can back out of this if you don't want to go out with me."

Kono looked up into his eyes. Had they always been that blue, like the water in Hanama Bay? Although her heart did a leap frog into her chest, she managed a brave look and said, "No, no, I don't want to back out."

Looking at her, he replied, "Oh, that's great." He assumed a glib expression as he said, "Because I was all ready to let you off the hook, but if you want to go, that's great. Where would you like me to take you?"

"How about Bubba's in Ala Moana Shopping Center?" Kono suggested.

"Sounds great," Danny said. "I'll pick you up at one. Got some errands to do first."

Kono's expressive eyes lit up. "So this is a date, then?" She asked, taking in his jacket and tie.

Danny hastily moved to deny that. "No, absolutely not," he said. "A date would require dressing in fancy clothes and teasing hair, or whatever, and you'd have to get ready too."

Kono laughed, a deep rumble that tickled her lips and, he decided, made her eyes twinkle like the stars. "Maybe we should meet at the restaurant," she suggested.

"See you at one," Danny said. They walked out of the office then went home separately to get ready for lunch.


	2. Chapter 2

ANOTHER SIDE OF PARADISE

CHAPTER TWO

**A/N: What trouble could Danny get into, going on a lunch appointment? One never knows! (Smile.)**

**Please read and review.**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kono checked the time on her watch before applying her lip gloss. She remembered that Danny loved pink so she wore a sheer pink gloss and a deep pink top with a v neck. It surprised Kono how in their short time together she had picked up some personal facts about her fellow police officer. She had, for example, known that he liked seafood, especially hush puppies. Bubba's had some of the greatest, or so she thought. It was great, finding a friend who shared her weakness for hush puppies. Kono was also glad that she'd found someone who shared her love of sports.

Most men were intimidated by a woman who knew sports statistics better than they did, but not Danny. He seemed to get a kick out of watching her rattle off football and baseball scores. If this lunch went well, she decided, she might just ask him if he wanted to go to a football game (hopefully one that wouldn't be ruined by cyberterrorists this time.)

_Wonder if he likes surfing? _She asked herself; then, she shook her head just as quickly. Danny had told her and the others in Five 0 many times that he "just wasn't a beach person". She wondered if maybe, just maybe, surfing could cure him of that.

_And maybe we'll move into the Iolani Palace and have a bunch of kids…_Kono thought sarcastically.

As usual, she was getting way ahead of herself. She decided to focus on the fact that this was a lunch and they were only friends. It wasn't like they were getting married, or even dating. Hadn't he declared himself that this was "absolutely not" a date? Kono felt the same way. She and Danny would go out, have a great time, satisfy the bet (and get Steve and her older cousin off their backs,) and never see each other for meals of _any _kind again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Danny realized that he needed to check his accounts before meeting Kono and make a withdrawal. He drove to his bank and called her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The female cop was about to leave when she heard her cell phone ringing. "Hello?" She asked, then asked again more loudly, "Hello? Who is this…?" There was a moment's pause; then, "Danny? You sound far away, where are you?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Danny cursed his luck. He had been walking toward his bank when he saw some perpetrators pulling out guns.

"Kono," he said softly. "There's a robbery in progress, I repeat, a robbery in progress. Get Steve and Chin. Meet us at 3020 Paradise Avenue."

"Got it," Kono's voice said. She hung up a second later. Danny looked through the glass window to see what he was up against. There were at least four robbers; one, near the tellers' booths; a second near the vault to the right of the tellers' stations; a third one directly in front of where he stood on the other side of the door, and the fourth guarding some people who were face down with their hands behind their heads.

The blond cop thought about the best way to play his hand. He was hoping his anonymity would serve him until Kono and the others arrived. Taking out his gun, Danny opened the door.

A man on the left who was lying face down lifted his head slightly. The gunman nearest him tapped him on the head with the butt of his rifle.

"Head _down, _I said!" He ordered. The man put his head back down, rubbing it gently as much as he could.

"Hey, buddies!" Danny shouted. One of the thieves faced him. He stared at Danny with hazel orbs, but the New Jersey policeman couldn't see his eyes. All of the crooks had hosiery that covered their faces. The leader of the gang took the cop's weapon.

"What the hell do _you _want, blondie?" Another of the thieves asked. He held up his gun to show he meant business.

"It's not what I want it's what I can give you, cousin!" Danny shouted. Without missing a beat, the Detective went on.

"I came here to rob this bank," he said. "Looks like you beat me to it."

The thieves peered at Danny suspiciously. "And why would you wanna do that?" Thief Number Two inquired.

"Cause I know all about Hawaiian banks," Danny boasted, "security systems and how they work and all that. I stole over ten million last year alone! You know about the Honolulu Hula Heist? That was _me!"_

_Who is this kolohe? _The leader of the group thought. Aloud, he said, "Over there with the others! NOW!"

"But..." Danny protested.

Out of the corner of his eye, he counted seven possible hostages on the floor. His blue eyes also flicked to a side door. _If_ it was opened still, and _if _he could create a distraction, Danny told himself, maybe he could get the innocent bystanders somewhere safe. His only option lay in getting the thieves to trust him so that they could screw up their plans.

"Boss," the man by the safe said. The leader's head jerked toward his partner. The third thief covered Danny with his weapon while the leader walked to the vault.

"What?" He barked.

"He could be Babyface James, the bank robber," the third thief reported. When his boss looked confused, the man said, "You know...the one who stole over a million from most of the banks in Honolulu in 09. They never caught him, and he got out of each robbery without leavin' any clues!"

The lead thief's hazel eyes scanned Danny. Despite his feeling that this blond idiot couldn't be trusted, Thief Number One thought that maybe he _could _be of use to them. Besides, he could always bump off Babyface when they'd gotten all the money and escaped.

"Which one o' you's the manager?" The leader asked. The first man who'd moved a little earlier raised his head.

"I'm the manager," he said. The leader walked over to him, his colleagues keeping their guns trained on the others and Danny.

"Get up!" The thief in charge ordered. The manager rose. "You an' Babyface here are gonna make a withdrawal from the safe, _and no funny business,_ or you'll have six murders on your hands!" Thief Number One shouted.

Danny and the bank manager went to the safe. The manager put in the code to open the massive door. One thief recorded the information on his cell phone's camera. Two other thieves shoved them both inside. Thief Number Four handed them some burlap sacks.

"You get out $750,000 _now!" _The leader of the thieves was yelling.

"But I can't withdraw all of that money out now!" the manager shrieked. One thief clicked his gun.

"You wanna stick with that statement, Grandpa?" the leader asked. Danny looked at the manager. The cop hoped the man could read the sentiment in his blue eyes.

_Do as he says, _Danny was telepathically ordering.

"Hey!" the cop shouted. He got a gun pointed at his chest for his efforts.

"Get goin'!" Thief Number Two yelled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

While Danny and the manager got to work filling up sacks, Steve, Kono and Chin headed for the bank. A team of squad cars followed close behind.

"Chin, you got the specs of the buildings surrounding the bank ready?" Steve asked from beside him. In front, Kono drove and thought about Danny. She hoped he wasn't being tortured. If he was, she decided grimly, she would kick the crooks' butts for not only robbing the bank, but also ruining her lunch rendezvous with her coworker.

Meanwhile, Chin Ho was typing on his laptop screen, drawing up the architecture of the street the bank was on. "Our best bet is these two buildings here," he said, his finger pointing to two glass edifices which were on either side of the bank. They had tall roofs and, Chin related to Steve, provided a good vantage point.

Steve transmitted to the HPD's band frequency. "Get three cops on top of each building," Steve said. "Don't get there using the front entrance. Use the side entrances to get up to the top of the buildings. Also, don't shoot until you hear my signal."

"You've got it, Commander McGarrett," one officer, Duke Kanalawa, said. When the cops pulled up a block away from the bank along with Five 0, they filed out in groups of three. The ones across the street went around the side of the building, as did the ones at the building where the bank was. Kono was in front of the cops across the street. Chin was with her. Steve was with the cops across from them. All had rifles in their hands. They waited to see if there were any movements from inside of the bank.

Each side also waited for Steve's next command.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inside the vault, the manager was filling the bags as soon as he could. Sweat poured down his face. Danny saw that his eyes were growing wider and, it seemed, he was starting to hyperventilate.

"What's going on?" the cop wanted to know. The manager was breathing heavily now.

"I'm claustrophobic," he related. Danny gently reached out his hand, showing the manager that the policeman meant no harm.

"Remember," the blond officer told the manager, "we're not locked inside. We're just being guarded. Also...," Danny took out his badge. When the manager saw the golden symbol and looked up at the cop who placed his fingers on his lips to silence the bank official, he stopped hyperventilating.

"...I'm a cop," Danny whispered the obvious. "I need your help. You have to stay focused right now." Danny put his badge away.

"What can I do?" the manager whispered fearfully.

"Stall them until my friends get here," Danny responded. "They should be on their way here." He could anticipate the manager's next query as he outlined his plan.

"How will I stall them?" The bank official asked.

Danny shrugged, fixing him with a smile. "Improvise," he said. "I do it all the time."

"Hey!" the First Thief shouted. "Stop talkin' in there!" He popped his head in and pointed the gun toward them.

"I was, uh, just telling Babyface that I can't get that much money without the code from the head manager," the bank manager said. "I have to let him know."

The thief cursed. He clicked his gun and put it right in front of the manager's heart. "You better not be makin' this up!" He growled.

The manager swore, "No! I really have to call him." He insisted. The leader of the gang pointed the gun at his head.

"Make it snappy!" He shouted to the manager. "And if you wanna be sittin' in the barkalounger you have at home, _do not attempt _to be a hero!" The thief pointed his rifle next at Danny. "Or, the baby here's gonna have a case of Sudden Death Syndrome!" The man with the hazel eyes added. Not wanting anyone to suffer, the manager placed the call.

Outside of the safe, the third thief's eyes stared at the mirror. The crook was smiling. The police were so predictable! He got the leader's attention with a short wave of his hand. When the thief with the hazel eyes faced the third member of the gang, the other man reported his information.

"Boss!" the Third Thief yelled. "The cops are here!"

Inside the vault, Danny inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, but he knew that this situation was far from over. He and all of the innocent bystanders were still in great danger. If the thieves got trigger happy...The policeman called to the leader.

"WHAT?" the thief in charge thundered. The manager handed filled sacks to the second and fourth robbers, who placed them on a cart resembling the armored car company Brinkes.

"Lemme come with you," Danny said. "I got a getaway car outside! We could shake the cops and then hold up at my girl's place."

Danny hoped these criminals, which didn't seem too bright, would go for it. He knew that if he could get the perps alone his teammates or other policeman could take action. Another plus was that the people inside would be safe.

The expression in the first thief's eyes told him that the man still didn't trust Danny. "Where's your girl's...place?" The robber asked skeptically.

Danny was glad that Steve, Kono and Chin Ho had provided him with some knowledge of Hawaiian terms just then.

"It's off of the winward side of the island," Danny told the thieves. "I'm sure she'd let you crash for awhile." The other robbers started coming toward him, but the leader lifted up his hands in a stand down command.

"Off of Likelike, eh?" He asked.

The hazel orbed thug thought about Babyface's stash and how the thief would _love _to relieve him of all that stolen money. The best part was that he and his gang would have a hideout made to order. He had heard about Babyface's headquarters. The place was supposedly a fortress that no one, not even the Honolulu police, could penetrate.

"Yeah, you do that," the leader said. "And no tricks, or these nice people will be going home in body bags, get it?"

Danny hoped he sounded okay when he said casually, "No skin off my nose. I'll just call my girl and set it up. My wahine lets me crash whenever I want, in exchange for my..._payment." _He winked at the thugs. "Let me talk to her." Danny thought about the house the police sometimes used in sting operations. He'd read somewhere that the cops had confiscated the place when they had arrested the real Babyface last December and put him quietly away in a maximum security prison.

The leader didn't act as though he knew about the real master criminal. The leader gestured so that two thieves' guns were pointed at either side of the blond cop. Danny punched in the number for Kono's phone.

"Hey, baby," the Detective greeted.

Kono responded, all business in her tone, "Danny, we've got our people on both sides of you. Can you cause a distraction so that we can get a clean shot at one of them?"

"Nothing doing, K!" Danny responded forcefully. He hoped Kono forgave him for snapping at her. "Now, listen. Me and my new pals wanna spend some time at your place, you know the one with the dripping faucet we got fixed last month?"

Kono frowned as she pulled the cell phone away for a brief moment. She guessed Danny was trying to tell her where they might be headed, but she wasn't exactly sure what a faucet had to do with it.

Playing along to get more information, Kono smiled, saying, "Yeah, baby. Can you give me anything else?"

"You know I'd love to, sugar but the boys are getting restless. Have some food sent over from your sister to the Tower, K. I know how you hate cooking!" he said, smirking. "We'll see you soon. Bye, baby." Danny ended the cell phone call, telling the leader that it was all set.

Satisfied with another hideout (to say nothing of two hostages,) the robber asked the manager, "You got that code?"

The manager nodded. He punched it in, then watched the thieves as they withdrew the remaining money that they couldn't pinch earlier. Again, Danny's expression said to the manager to be calm. The bank official sweat, but otherwise looked as cool as a cucumber.

When the manager, Danny and the other thieves were out of the vault, the leader barked, "All right, people! We're gonna play Simon Says! Simon Says we leave and you all _stay _down on the ground until we're well away from here!" He signaled to his colleagues. Two shots rang out, blasting holes in the ceiling but otherwise harming no one. The robbers came outside, their panty hose covered faces staring at the two buildings with the police in place and ready to fire.

Steve and Chin each cursed inwardly as they saw one thief pushing Danny in front of him and another pushing a bank official—probably the manager—in front as human shields.

"Now listen, cops!" The leader shouted. "This is a show of good faith that I'm not about to harm these guys unless you provoke me! Do we have an understanding? Lemme speak to the one in charge!"

Kono kept her rifle trained on the robbers, hoping to get a clean shot, but they kept edging their way to the mini van they had brought. Two of the four were behind the colleagues who held the cop and the manager.

Meanwhile, Steve grabbed a bullhorn from a cop and said, "This is Steve McGarrett of Hawaii Five 0! Just tell me what you want, and no one gets hurt!"

"Let us go and DO NOT attempt to follow us or it'll get ugly!" the first thief yelled. He terminated the call.

Kono kept her eyes peeled, both for any opportunity to fire and for Steve's instructions. The dark haired cop gestured for the police personnel to lower their weapons. The female cop placed a call to Steve. He answered his cell, saying, "McGarrett."

"I think there might be an opening." her voice requested. "Just let me get one shot in."

"No, Kono," Steve commanded. "If you miss, it might mean Danno's and the other man's life. We'll see what the robbers want and if need be, go after them to their hideout."

The Head Thief placed a call to Steve. When the leader of Five 0 picked up the mobile device, he told the Navy Seal, "We're leaving now. If you try _anything _these guys 'll be street pizza! Got that?"

The police nearest Steve looked at him expectantly. "Let them go," he commanded them softly. The HPD chief grimaced but nodded. Steve repeated his instructions to Kono. On the opposite roof, the female officer nodded, hanging up. She worked on what Danny had told her. It meant something about where the robbers were going, but what?

The men pushed the manager to the ground but dragged Danny to a waiting Honda Odyssey. After getting hurriedly inside, the robbers started the engine and then drove off at top speed.

"That was a neat idea you had," the leader said to the second thief, "fixing the security equipment so that we could see the cops." He looked at Danny and said, "And since we saved your miserable life, Baby Snookums, we'll be takin' more than ten percent of your loot!" The thieves laughed as the second one drove away.

In front of the bank, Steve told the other policemen to check on the people inside, and then met the cops who remained. To Kono, Steve asked, "What did Danno tell you?"

Kono said thoughtfully, "Two things that didn't make any sense." She repeated what Danny had said about her non existent sister, MD and the drippy faucet. Chin turned the words over in his mind, as did Steve along with Kono.

Moments later, Chin brightened. "I think I've got it!" He said. Putting up a map of the road the bank was on, Chin said, "Look, when the perps left, they made a right turn, correct?"

"Yeah," Kono said. "So?"

Chin Ho showed Steve and Kono the map. "See, if they keep up this road, they'll go onto Likelike highway."

"Danno called the place 'the tower'," Steve put in. "What's another word for tower?"

Chin Ho thought about the name, then he said, "Building, castle, fortress...Wait! The place where Babyface James was held up six months ago was nicknamed 'the Tower' wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Steve said. "I remember that place. It was set into the mountains. Very hard to spot, and there are several vantage points so that anyone inside could hold off an army for hours."

"Find out where that is," Steve instructed Chin and Kono.

After typing in the location, Kono exclaimed, "It _is _an address! Part of highway 63, as in 6/30, or...6300! I heard about that place at the Academy! Wasn't that the place where Babyface stored his goods after a heist?"

"Yeah," Steve said, remembering a sting operation Five 0 had done there. "The house would have been destroyed by Jameson, but she was persuaded to keep it so the police could use it in their sting operations."

Steve and his team didn't need any further urging. "I know a shortcut," Chin said. They rode through the dirt roads, hoping that they would beat the thieves to the house that was there.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

About one hour later, the crooks pulled up outside of 6300 Likelike. The house was set in the mountains. It wasn't visible from the highway unless one came up on it from an odd angle. The place was a fortress despite the older looking furniture and shingles on the outside.

"Come on, boyfriend," the leader of the group said. He pulled Danny out of the car and, using his gun, propelled the policeman forward.

"Hey, guys," Danny said, smiling, "it's cool. I don't want to start a fight."

The thieves hid, two behind some rocks, and the other two in some trees. "Remember..." the leader snarled, not finishing his statement, his face a direct threat.

Danny came up to the door and knocked on it. Kono opened it in a very sexy gold gown. The look Danny flashed was genuinely appreciative. He'd always thought Kono was an attractive woman! The female cop slipped her hand around his neck and leaned in close.

"Steve and Chin have a reception waiting," she whispered. Loud enough for the thieves to hear, Kono said, "Hey, lover!" She blew in his ear and asked softly, "How many are there?"

Danny told her in a loud voice, "There are going to be four extra for dinner, my little _Wahine._ Hope that's okay._"_

Kono's hand slipped down his back. Danny had to admit: she was one _helluva _actress! He felt himself, or rather a part of himself, responding to her massage.

The leader of the crooks emerged from his hiding place, smirking. "Looks like you needed all of your money for someone like _her, _Babyface," he said in a jeering tone. His eyes roamed Kono's soft curves and tight little chest. Danny didn't like where the thief's eyes settled.

At his signal, the other three popped out from where they hid. They still held their guns up high as they walked toward the house. Suddenly, when all reached the front door, Danny dropped to the ground. Kono let herself inside the house. The third thief collapsed his knee and fell on the rocky terrain. The second thief's cry was palpable as he grabbed his hand, then his left knee. The leader reached out to grab Danny but before he made a move, the man with the hazel eyes heard a click.

He saw a figure in the window and heard, "Do it. Give me an excuse to blow you all the way to King Kamehameha I."

The thief froze. "Drop your gun," the voice ordered, "and tell your man to do the same."

"Drop it!" the leader commanded. Thief Number Two did as instructed. Steve and Chin exited the house, their guns still trained on the crooks. Kono withdrew her handcuffs while Chin helped Danny up.

"Guess you might end up owing my cousin _two_ lunches, eh?" He asked, not loud enough for anyone but Danny to hear.

"Only in her dreams, and yours," Danny replied flippantly. Kono bundled a handcuffed crook into the car. Steve called on his cell for an ambulance.

When his female teammate came back over to where Danny stood, she asked, "You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" He asked, smirking. His eyes fell on the thieves who were safely tucked away in the car. Chin was putting on gloves and searching the thieves' car.

"Looks like the money's all here, boss," he told Steve when he jimmied open the trunk.

The teammates drove the uninjured thieves away, all four of them pleased that the house they used had not been demolished by the governor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later, Danny and Kono were at Five 0 headquarters, talking softly about their missed appointment. "I was going to go to the seafood place on Ala Moana," he said. Kono blinked her astonishment.

"Really?" She squealed. "I was going to ask you to take me to Bubba's!" Simultaneously, they both said, "They have some of the best hush puppies!"

Kono laughed, showing a flash of her white teeth. Danny grinned, his blue eyes sparkling with devilment.

"So," he asked, "same time tomorrow, same Cat Channel?"

"Huh?" Kono asked, not getting the reference.

Danny laughed again, saying, "I've gotta show you my _Batman _tapes!"

"So, you wanna go somewhere tomorrow?" She asked. When he nodded, she said, "okay. To Bubba's?"

Danny had been thinking about where he felt they should go. He hoped that Kono would agree to whatever he suggested.

"I'll tell you what," he said. "Dinner tomorrow, my treat. Dress up," he added with a slight leer, "_Wahine."_

Kono smiled, thinking about where he planned to take her. She got into her car to go home, sink into a luxurious bath, and dream about their "date".


	3. Chapter 3

ANOTHER SIDE OF PARADISE

CHAPTER THREE

**A/n: Kono and Danny finally take the plunge, but after their dealings with bank robbers the day before, will their "appointment" go through without a hitch?**

**The restaurant "Top of Oahu" is a tribute to a real restaurant "Top of Waikiki", which is a floating restaurant in downtown Honolulu. The dance floor is something I put in the story, and any coincidence between that and any dancing clubs actually in or near the actual restaurant is strictly coincidental. No disrespect is intended toward that fine eating establishment.**

**The version of Rachel in this chapter is my own take on the character, and any situations are my own, not those in the series, so needless to say: this chapter especially doesn't follow the series' canon. Please read and review.**

XXXXXXXXXXX

Danny sat at the table for two in the floating restaurant "Top of Oahu". He tugged on his white collar in a fit of nervousness, then stopped.

_It's just Kono, _he mentally told himself. But that made him all the more agitated. He'd never told anyone how happy he'd been to lose to her. Oh, the card game had been a fair one: he had been determined to win. But Fate, it seemed, had heard his inner prayers and designed things so that they would both be here on this magic night.

The city of Honolulu was aglow with stars and the people in the restaurant waited for the revolving of the restaurant to begin. They were stationary at this time—the circular dome with its glass windows showing different views of Waikiki wouldn't start floating for at least another 45 minutes—but Danny knew he would treat her to some of the most spectacular sights to be seen of the city from above.

He checked his watch and wondered where she was. Danny hoped that she hadn't backed out of their "date" when she saw where the address he had given her was. But his keen mind reasoned that if Kono had any reservations at all about all of this, she would have backed off long before now. To force himself off of his apprehension about this evening, Danny allowed himself to think about her.

He thought about her unique scent, a mixture of sweat, the ocean, and floral perfume. She always smelled so enticing to him, especially after a bust when she'd been running after a crook or fighting a perp with one of her daring Martial arts moves. Danny let his mind curl around the sight of her heaving, small chest, even as he wondered what it might feel like to twirl his fingers in her hair. Unlike his ex wife, Rachel, Kono's dark hair was straight and made for caressing. Rachel's shorter strands were made for mild touching or patting—which had some benefits—but he'd always pictured his ex with longer hair that he could lose a hand in.

He wondered all of a sudden what his former wife was doing now, and more importantly, who she was doing things _with. _He tried not to be jealous of Rachel since they'd been divorced for at least nine months now, but the wounds of their divorce had cut deep; the sting of rejection on her part was a jagged tear in his heart that never seemed to heal. He had tried dating before after waiting a respectable amount of time, only to compare the other women to his wife.

Their voices were too high; their breasts too large; their perfume too cloying, etc. Kono had been the first woman who made him think of himself as a single male, as a guy who was attractive, and who had no trouble proving it. He remembered the time she'd worn the short, red robe during the gambling case against the mob that Five 0 had been on. It was all he could do not to tear the garment off of her body, take her to some five star hotel room, and show her how much he wanted her.

When she had worn the gold dress the day before and had massaged his back with her long, lean fingers at the Tower, Danny thought he'd lose it and let himself loose all over her just like some Neanderthal. But he managed to keep himself in check by repeating _she's just a friend; she's just a pal._

_Yeah, right, _the lusty part of his mind was telling him. _You know you want more._

The waiter put the detective out of his misery by coming up just then and asking if Danny would like to order. He put down the menu that was already on the table and asked for a glass of water with lemon while he waited a moment longer. Danny was sipping noisily on his glass when she finally arrived.

The lights bathed her hair, which was in an upsweep, in a soft glow. Her lips seemed plumper, fuller, more kissable than ever. The earrings she wore, the dangly kind, made an already beautiful heart shaped face even longer, and rounder. But what really took his breath away was her gown. It was the killer red she'd worn before, but this time, the skirt was longer, and it danced along her swaying hips. He envied her clothes; Danny wanted to run his fingers along them, too, in a seductive caress.

The dress had a mandarin collar, trimmed with gold; the skirt flared out, emphasizing the movement of her long, shapely legs through a side slit. Danny couldn't take his eyes off of her. When she reached the table and he sprang to pull out the chair from under the table for her, he thanked Heaven and Earth for his good luck in losing that poker game the day before.

"You're late," he chided, smiling.

Kono looked at Danny's dark navy tux and thought, _I should have baited him when we first met!_

Not exactly knowing what to say, Kono praised, "You're sex on a surfboard!" A moment later, she mentally berated herself, _that was pretty awful! I wouldn't be surprised if he…_

Grinning like the proverbial Cheshire cat, Danny cut into her thoughts, telling her, "Thanks, and I forgive you." When she let him have a sly smile, ducking her head as she tended to do, he added, "I have to admit, though, that this is the first time that I've had to wait for a woman to come to one of these things_. _Usually, they have to wait for me."

It was in her thoughts to say, _I wanted to dress extra special for you, _but she responded with, "Maybe you should upgrade your standards."

Danny grabbed her hand, which, if his appraising look was any judge, told him that she'd gotten a manicure.

"Maybe so," he replied softly, staring at her.

Kono couldn't stop looking into his brilliant blue eyes. They weren't the color of Hanama Bay tonight, she thought. They resembled Birds of Paradise at the height of the summertime. Kono had always loved flowers, particularly those. She didn't see how Danny's ex got along without looking at them. Rachel, she told herself, had been a fool. Of course, she also thought, that left him for Kono.

Danny kept massaging her soft hand, using his fingers to make circles on the back of it. Even that simple act was causing her to feel a stirring between her legs. It was too soon for that though, and she reluctantly tugged her hand away making him frown at the lack of contact. A moment later, however, Danny realized that this was just a one time thing, and spared them both any further embarrassment by hiding behind a menu.

"Danny?" She asked, looking at him.

He didn't put down his menu but queried, "Hah?"

She gripped his hand, telling him, "I really appreciate this." That statement made him place his menu on the table.

"What?" He wanted to know.

"This," she answered, "this taking me out to a fancy restaurant and us getting dressed up like we're on a real date." When he regarded her, Kono said quickly, "I mean, I've never been to a place like this, and I've always wanted to go, so thanks."

Danny shrugged, saying, "You're welcome. But this is a one time thing, for the bet, right?"

Kono glanced down at her menu, hoping that her blond teammate didn't see her disappointment at him. She'd thought he wanted to take her out for himself, not to keep Steve and Chin Ho from giving her a hard time. But two could play at that game, she thought, picking up her menu. Two could act as though this evening, fancy though it was, meant nothing but a casual dinner between friends.

"So," she began conversationally, "what'll you have?"

"Dunno," he told her. "I think I could go for a ribeye or something. How about you?"

Kono wondered, "Anything I want?"

Danny replied, "Of course." Kono felt a little guilty. She didn't want Danny to spend every penny on this charming but expensive restaurant. Not one to bury what was on her mind for very long, she told him so.

The detective was touched and his eyes got slightly moist at her kindness. "It's okay, really," he assured her. "I've got it covered."

"But I know how much schools are here and how much the alimony checks probably are…" she protested again. This time, Danny took her hand and kissed it.

"C'mon," he murmured, "let's put it out of our minds, and order." When Kono still hesitated, Danny reiterated, "it's all right. Besides, this is a one time thing. It's not like I eat here every day, but once in a lifetime, you just gotta go for it, know what I mean?"

Kono smiled. Maybe she could return the gesture sometime, and anyway, like Danny said, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to know each other in a classy setting. She thought about the infinite food choices and decided to get the mahi mahi. When the waiter came and they gave their orders, Danny stood up abruptly.

He looked at the window and saw that the restaurant was moving, albeit slowly. Taking Kono's hands and pulling her up, Danny told her, "There's something I've got to show you."

His response to Kono's puzzled frown was to smirk. Danny looked partially over his shoulder while he said, "You know, in New York, not too far from where I used to live, there's a really high class restaurant called 'The Top of Central Park'. It has a view of the park that you could get lost in. I could never afford to dine there when Grace was little, but I always wanted to. Now, I get to have that chance."

Kono understood. There had been many times when she'd dreamed of going to this place in Honolulu, only to be told by older relatives that they were _noa, _of the lower class. She had accepted her family's socio-economic shortcomings; surrounded by a large, loving family, she was happy and had lacked for nothing. Still, sometimes late at night, she had dreamed that she was a princess who saved her prince and in gratitude, he took her to his castle where they dined on Hawaiian native foods at his luau. They reached the window and what Kono saw nearly took her breath away.

"Pretty, huh?" Danny asked from behind her while they stared at the city.

"Spectacular!" She breathed. Turning to him, Kono whispered, "Mahalo."

"You're welcome," Danny said. They went back to their seats where the drinks they had ordered were waiting for them along with a bread plate and butter.

After taking a large sip from his glass of coca-cola, Danny commented, "Nice view. I think I wouldn't mind my apartment being like this."

Kono laughed. "You mentioned New York," she said. "How far was it from New Jersey where you lived?" When the waiter set down two salads, she nibbled on a piece of lettuce.

"About an hour," Danny replied, putting butter on his roll. "I lived in Elizabeth."

"I've been to New York only once, but never New Jersey," Kono said. "Do you have any beaches there?"

"Yeah," Danny said, "though not like in Hawaii." He wiped his mouth and leaned in close. "So, tell me: how old were you when you had your first surfing lesson."

"I was seven years old," Kono answered. Her eyes took on a faraway look as she remembered her first surfing lesson. The waiter came back and took their main course orders.

When he left, Kono told Danny, "I had been pressing my father the year before when I had seen my first surfing competition. I could always swim like a fish, ever since I was a toddler."

"With all the water you guys have down here," Danny teased, "I'm not surprised."

Kono went on. "From the moment I saw the people hugging the boards with their feet and catching the waves, I knew I wanted that. That was the closest thing to freedom, to being out there where there was nothing but the wind and the ocean."

In his mind's eye, Danny saw her in her bathing suit, a big wave behind her, riding it. He didn't know if _he _would ever be kooky enough to learn how to surf, but he could understand Kono's fascination with it.

"Reminds me of the time I made my first bust," Danny responded. "I loved the excitement, the exhilaration, the stuff that makes your heart beat like a drum."

"Exactly," Kono said, loving that Danny could understand.

"Exactly," Danny echoed, glad that she could relate to how he felt about being a cop.

Suddenly, both thought about freedom of a different kind, only the type they dreamed about just then was in riding each other on top of soft sheets, hugging and kissing like there was no tomorrow. They thought about it for what seemed like an eternity, even though it had just been for a moment, before Kono toyed with her salad. Danny buttered a second roll before realizing he hadn't finished his first one. Scarfing it down, the blond cop chewed it, lost in thought.

The next few minutes were spent eating and drinking without much conversation. When the waiter brought their meals over and cleared up the other dishes, Danny attacked his medium rare steak with a vengeance.

"Great cut of beef," he praised, trying to make small talk. Kono followed his example.

"Delicious mahi mahi," she said. Danny pointed his fork in her direction.

"We don't have too much of that back home in the States," he said, glad that they could discuss safe topics. When at a loss as to what to say, food and the weather were always safe bets, his mother had told him.

"The Mainland," Kono put in. She shook some pepper on her seafood and took a big bite.

"Oh, right," Danny said. "Steve told me that you call the other states 'the Mainland'. Sorry I forgot."

"It's okay," Kono trickled back. The pair concentrated on their food once more and when they had finished, Danny signaled for the check. Kono eyed him, wishing that the evening didn't have to end so soon.

"Well, after a meal like that, I've gotta work out," Danny told her with a wink. "Don't want a spare tire. Happens in the mid thirties, you know."

Kono smirked, saying, "No, I didn't know." She was inwardly bubbling with happiness that her prayer had been answered.

"Unless you've got other plans," Danny went on, throwing her a bone.

Kono emphatically shook her head. "Nope, I'm all yours," she responded without hesitation. Danny's lips turned upward slowly.

"Great, 'cause there is a dance floor on the upper level, right above here," he said. "Wanna sweat a little?"

Her answer was to let him guide her to the club upstairs. Inside were strobe lights and swirling people dancing to Hawaiian rhythms and popular tunes from the eighties and nineties.

Danny pulled her to a vacant spot near the middle of the dance floor. Leaning into her, he confessed, "I guess I should warn you: I'm not great at dancing."

"Then why did you want to, other than working off the food?" She wondered aloud.

"How else was I gonna cop a feel?" He asked, moving his hand down her back and stopping before he reached her curvaceous butt.

Kono giggled. Danny leaned in even closer so that each part of their bodies touched. He hoped he didn't give too much away south of the border as he tried picturing cold showers and Eskimos. Kono felt her hormones doing the cha cha and silently told them, _down, girls!_

The familiar state song played in a slow, languorous style. Danny and Kono swayed to the music, lost in each other. He decided suddenly that, if he could preserve this moment, Danny could grow to like paradise. When the music stopped, the two cops separated, still staring at each other.

Another song started, this one slightly faster, but when they came close together again, Danny and Kono danced to their own rhythm; their special beat, moving slower than the other dancers. Kono whispered something in Danny's ear, but he didn't give any indication that he had heard her.

"What did you say?" he asked. Before she could repeat her question, Danny saw a familiar face dancing with an unfamiliar man. He pulled away from Kono and stared at the pair.

"Hey, Rache," he said as softly as he could in the loud room.


	4. Chapter 4

ANOTHER SIDE OF PARADISE,

CHAPTER FOUR

**A/N: I just saw the "Hawaii Five 0" episode **_**Heihei **_**which aired in my neck of the woods on November 22****nd****. This one featured Danny's ex wife, Rachel. There may be some spoilers in this chapter if you haven't seen it.**

**The description of Rachel in the last chapter was written **_**before **_**the episode premiered. If she is still a bit off character, it is only for story and AU purposes.**

**That said, I will try to blend in the character elements in the actual episode, along with some other traits to enhance the story. There is some violence in this chapter.**

**For the character of Stanley (who is presumably Rachel's boyfriend or husband in the episode), I was thinking about a young Charles O'Shaughnessy (from "The Nanny".)**

**Synopsis so far: the "non date" between our two cops has begun, but just when they were getting closer on the dance floor, Danny's ex shows up. That, however, is a minor thing in comparison to the danger ahead.**

_Previously: "Hey, Rache," he said as softly as he could in the loud room._

Kono studied the attractive, slim hipped brunette dancing in front of her. The woman, who looked to be in her early thirties, was wearing an emerald green dress which showed off her longer legs. Her hair was hanging down and not short, as Danny had first described. Her eyes were a striking dark brown shade and matched her hair color.

The female cop noted Rachel's partner, a slim, middle aged man who had a grey streak in front in his dark hair. He had on a navy colored vest which covered his white shirt. His face, which was heart shaped in contrast to Danny's more oval features, was clean shaven. His eyes were dark and full of mirth.

The pairs of dancers scrutinized each other before Rachel spoke. "Danny," she said flatly. "How nice to see you." Kono noticed Rachel's cultured British accent. She also saw that Danny's ex wife was looking at him with more than a small amount of frost in her eyes.

For a moment, Kono saw Danny's features tense up; then, his mask of indifference and his trademark smirk fell into place. "Same for me, Rachel," he responded smoothly. If his ex spouse were butter, she would have melted from the look he gave her, and not in a good way.

His blue eyes suddenly resembling glaciers, Danny asked in a deceptively cheerful voice, "We were bound to run into each other sooner or later when I wasn't coming to see Grace, right?"

"Yes..." Rachel responded, determined that Danny would not get the better of her. Her eyes found Kono's. Danny's former spouse said nothing, but smiled—a grin that didn't reach her eyes.

Finally, Rachel extended her hand, saying, "Hello, I'm Rachel Covington." Kono shook her hand.

"Kono Kalakaua," she said. Rachel didn't give any signs that she knew who Kono was, but even if his ex wife did, her frosty greeting would have been par for the course in any case.

Danny acknowledged Stanley with a nod. "Hi, Stan," he said, using the nickname that he knew the other man detested. Rachel's husband nodded back with considerably more warmth.

"Daniel," he greeted.

"How was Indonesia?" Danny asked. If his eyes could have frozen Stanley, they would have. His voice oozing icy politeness, Danny asked the other man, "Tell me, was it hot? Unbearable? Or was the weather as _cold _as _ice_?"

Danny heard Rachel mutter, "Can't get much colder than it is here." He knew that she wasn't speaking about the air conditioned room. The cop crossed his arms, noiselessly grinding his teeth.

Always one to rise above every situation, his accent a male version of Rachel's English one, Stanley said, "Actually, it was quite hot, but then, the tropics are extremely humid this time of year." Trying to cut through the wall of ice between everyone, he asked Danny, "Have you ever been there?"

"No, can't say that I have," Danny replied. "Not much call for a detective in the jungle these days."

"Quite right," Stanley agreed. The quadruple headed over to the bar.

Kono jumped in to diffuse the fire she knew had already started and that could quickly grow out of control. "So, Indonesia, huh?" She asked. "Do you have family there?"

Stanley shook his head in Kono's direction. "No, actually, my voyage was work related," he told everyone.

_Isn't __**that**__ special? _Danny mentally projected, his thought sarcastic.

He remembered the case Five 0 had been on last week. Rachel had been involved because her house had provided the best vantage point to see several crooks' activities. She had told Danny about Stanley's location after berating her former spouse sorely about using her home because of the case last week involving the fake runners in a marathon.

Danny still felt guilty about using her house for a stakeout, even though their daughter Grace hadn't been there. He knew what that little maneuver had cost him, and he remained fearful of what action Rachel might take, even if a part of him deep down thought it might be for the best.

"Do you work as an ambassador?" Kono asked, totally unaware of the mental tornado of fear blowing its way through Danny's mind.

It was Rachel who answered, telling Kono, "Stanley works for the British consulate as an attaché to the ambassador."

"Ohhhh, that's very _exciting_," the blond cop told Rachel and Stanley, his slightly mocking tone indicating that he found Stanley's position to be anything but. The Englishman indicated a table he'd spotted in the back of the dance floor. After telling a cocktail waitress to bring the drink list to it, he looked at Kono, his wife, and Danny.

"Would you like to join us?" He invited. "Rachel and I were going to get some drinks anyway."

"Perhaps we could join you later, darling," Rachel said loudly, exaggerating the 'darling'. After giving Stanley her order, she favored Danny with a glare. In a slight haze from jealousy, Danny crossed his arms and returned her look.

"Daniel," she said as though she were addressing a very dumb five-year-old, "I was wondering if you'd favor me with a dance for old time's sake?"

Not missing the look she threw him, Danny answered, "Yes, why not." He almost forgot Kono, but at the last moment, his eyes found hers and he asked her, "You don't mind, do you, sweetheart?" He also gave her his order.

The endearment seemed forced but Kono took it with aplomb. "No, go right ahead," she told Danny. "I'll just keep Stanley company."

The blond detective grabbed Rachel's hand and headed for the front of the room, away from the back of it where Stanley's table was. When they got to another spot, Danny locked arms with his ex. They swayed as though they were dancing, but neither paid attention to the music.

"All right, Rache," he told her, "let's play 21 rounds of 'beat up your ex husband.'"

"You saying I have no reason to be narked?" the British brunette asked.

Danny knew that when she got "narked", the English people's word for "angry", Rachel's Britishisms came out more frequently.

"No, in as much as I _said _I was sorry!" His voice started to rise but the other patrons paid no attention, since the little drama was drowned out by the music.

"Yet again you come to the conclusion that a bloody apology will make everything all right!" Rachel accused. "But it doesn't!"

"Only because you won't give me a chance to straighten things out!" Danny snapped. He swung her around and dipped her. "It's always been this way: the great, _perfect _Rachel Williams Covington! No other country where you don't exist! Wanting everyone to dance to her flawless tune and having a conniption fit when they don't rise to her standards!"

Rachel yelled, "Oh, that's rich! That's utterly priceless, Daniel! You know if you bottled up the way you distribute guilt and bandy it about, you could buy Buckingham Palace! I _will NOT _be the villain, here!"

One of the club's managers came up and asked, "Is there a problem, Sir...Miss?"

Danny and Rachel saw that several patrons who had not noticed them before were now giving them curious looks. The blond cop's eyes flew back to his former spouse as he said, "No, no problem. Sorry if we disturbed anyone."

He signaled to his ex wife to come with him. By the club was a lanai for stargazing. Danny saw that the door was opened slightly and he motioned to Rachel to come outside. Seeing how deserted the lanai was and not wanting to cause a bigger scene than they already had, she followed Danny.

XXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Kono and Stanley had gotten their drinks and were sipping them. "I suppose this is unsettling for you, Miss Kalakaua," Stanley said. He took a sip of his beer and wiped some foam off his mouth.

"Please call me 'Kono'," Kono invited. At Stanley's nod, she continued. "No, it isn't. Danny's got a lot of issues to work through," she said. "I can appreciate that."

Stanley gave her an appraising look. "You're a rare woman, Kono," he said. "I just wish Rachel could get past all of this, but ever since he entered her life she's been a little…". Stanley paused, trying to find the right word.

"Nuts?" Kono suggested. Stanley shook his head.

"Distracted," he said. "It's understandable, of course. I myself have been married before and can identify with the trouble that an ex spouse can cause."

Kono nodded in sympathy but didn't say anything.

"I would rather continue on, untainted by Danny's presence; however, all that matters is Grace, and if he is only going to visit on some weekends, then I can tolerate it," Stanley responded.

Kono felt like she was between a rock and a hard place. She knew how much Danny loved his daughter and would rather he continued to see her, but she also could understand Stanley's point of view.

It must be hard on him when Stanley was at home, having to endure an ex husband as the other man in his life, but for Rachel's and Grace's sake, keep the peace by not saying anything about that. She hoped just as Stanley did that the former couple could straighten things out between themselves so that they ended up friends, or at least acquaintances.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rachel stared into the star lit sky while Danny continued defending himself.

"You say you're not the villain; well, I never thought you were!" Danny shouted.

Rachel crossed her arms and spat, "Really? I find that surprising! Every time Grace wants to do something a little risqué, you just _have_ to go along with it, while I am the lone wolf putting my foot down!"

Danny flung back, "Because I think it's a good idea for a child to have some _fun _in her life! You never let her do anything!"

"That's NOT true!" Rachel said. "We have lots of fun; tons of it!"

Danny stared at her, saying, "Oh suuuure, you always did fun things with her, like take her to the Sleeping Beauty ballet or to a poetry reading or the opera!"

"So…?" Rachel queried.

Danny put his hand to his mouth and pretended to yawn. Rachel wished suddenly that she could take some of the chocolate pudding in her ice box at home and pour it all over his white shirt! Besides being enraged about Danny's point of view, she also felt a twinge of jealousy despite her being married to Stanley. Her thoughts turned maliciously toward Danny's date.

Kono was slender as she was, but that was where the similarities ended. Where Rachel was pale skinned and sophisticated, Kono was tan and had an earthy, urbane quality. Rachel's eyes, while dark like Kono's, were also frosty muddy brown, like a hard piece of candy; Kono's were the sepia brown of melted chocolate, soft and moist, the type of bedroom eyes Rachel always wished she had.

Her work kept her busy with the British consulate's Hawaiian branch, but she'd seen Kono briefly during Danny's stakeout and the way they seemed familiar with each other spoke volumes about what the other woman did with Rachel's ex husband.

It was thinking about that that had Rachel wondering: just how _familiar _with each other were Danny and Kono? Were they "just friends" as so many couples try to say to their ex's, or were they in a libidinous relationship together? Did they come together every night, as more than just work colleagues such as she and Stanley were starting to revert back to? Given their hectic schedules, the lack of romance was starting to take its toll on her second marriage.

Rachel ignored her logical mind, even though it screamed that Danny didn't belong to her anymore; that she now belonged with Stanley; and that she was pretty well off that she had the lion's share of the deal, since she looked after Grace most days. Rachel could only see that her ex was having more fun than _she_ had, since Stanley was gone most of the time, traveling around the world for the main office in the UK.

"I'm _glad _we divorced from each other, you cave dweller!" She snapped.

_Oh, here it comes again! _Danny thought. _About how uncouth I am or how short I am or my life as a cop..._

"You couldn't possibly ever measure up to my husband!" Rachel flung at Danny.

"Gee, you're right, Rache," he said sarcastically. "I couldn't possibly hope to be a six foot tall basketball player size, now could I?" They both knew how Danny envied being the six foot one height that Stanley was.

"No, I mean that Stanley wouldn't involve me or Grace or anyone else from our perspective families if he did police work!" She yelled.

Danny replied hotly, "So—so what are you saying? That me and Steve were supposed to let innocent people die, when your house was the perfect vantage point for doing our _jobs?"_

"You could have chosen the house _next _to mine!" Rachel defended her accusation.

"That. wasn't. good. Enough!" Danny emphasized his words. Some people made their way outside, but upon seeing the couple arguing, went back inside.

"You've always resented my work as a cop," the blond cop told his former spouse, "_always!"_

Rachel's only response was to frown.

"When we first met, you at least tried to pretend that it was okay," he said in a softer voice, "even though I knew deep down that you regarded what I did as a novelty."

"That isn't true, Daniel," Rachel said, her voice cracking with emotional pain.

Danny's unblinking eyes were judging her as he pronounced, "Yeah, it was. You always accused me of not having a _regular _job. I never knew quite what you regarded as a regular job, until now."

They looked at each other for a moment, then Danny continued in a low, furious voice, "You never thought I was worth anything as a cop."

"I did..." Rachel said, her eyes tearing.

"Yeah, well, you had a funny way of showing it," he finally told her.

Rachel studied Danny and sighed. She had wanted to come to some sort of another arrangement, because she knew if she continued on her present path it would kill him slowly, irreparably, but he deserved happiness. So did she and Stanley, and Grace in the long run.

"Maybe that's why what I'm going to say won't come as a big surprise," Rachel said.

Danny knew what she would say more than likely, but he still pleaded, "Don't do it."

His former spouse took a deep breath and said, "I've contacted Grace's school. When I receive the necessary forms and the house is sold, Stanley, Grace and I will relocate to England."

The hurt look on her first husband's face had Rachel rethinking her decision. Should she go through with it? Would it really help Grace and Danny in the long run?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

As they finished their second drinks, Stanley asked, "May I tell you something in confidence and ask your opinion, Miss Kala-Kono?"

"Sure," Kono invited. Stanley somehow knew he could trust her with his decision.

"Rachel and I have discussed it, and we really think it's the best thing..." he faltered. Should he tell Daniel's girlfriend about his thoughts on relocating?

He didn't have to. Kono guessed, "You want to move on with Grace, right? Somewhere out of Hawaii, perhaps England?"

"We are thinking about it, yes," Stanley replied. He hastily defended himself lest Kono think the worst about him.

"Contrary to what you might think, I am not a child robber, nor do I want to replace Daniel in Grace's life," he said. "She does have a perfect right to be with her father, but..."

"You're afraid she'll be in the line of danger if she stays in Hawaii where Danny is," Kono finished again. Stanley peered at her.

"Are you always in the habit of finishing people's thoughts?" He asked, though he was not angry.

Kono apologized, "Sorry."

Stanley went on, embellishing his point by saying, "I'm probably going to be working more in the UK. The Main British Consulate office is there. Rachel works for the Hawaiian division but she wants to be closer to me. I, too, wish to be closer to her, though I would move here at a moment's notice if that were truly the best thing for both of them."

Kono nodded. She thought about Danny's feelings in all of this and she wondered how he would take Rachel's decision.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Don't do it, Rache," Danny repeated, his voice a whisper.

"Look, Daniel," she said not without much sympathy, "it will be better this way. It will be hard at first, I have no delusions on that, but we can't go on this way! Every time we are in each other's company we fling accusations and say things we don't even really mean! We ourselves can't keep pounding on each other emotionally! It's not beneficial to either Grace or Stanley!"

Danny turned away and looked out at the starry sky so that Rachel wouldn't see the tears glistening in his eyes. He felt her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm just trying to look at all sides here," she explained patiently. Danny turned back around.

"So you just wanna plunge the knife in deeper by taking her away, huh?" He exploded.

"No, Daniel," Rachel said calmly. "But what's going to be next if I don't take her away? That time, it was my house. What's next, her school, or my mother's place? Sooner or later the people you're trying to defend us against will strike back, and they won't go away until we're dead. You want that to happen to Stanley, to me, to Grace?"

A tear ran down his face as Rachel dropped her hand. _No, _he thought, though he was too broken up to say that.

"How long before you decide to send in the application and take care of the sale of the house and everything else?" Danny asked.

Though they didn't know it, Stanley and Rachel simultaneously answered Kono and Danny, "Four months, hopefully."

Danny struggled to process the information and apply his mind to solving the problem between Rachel and himself. In the club, Kono wondered how she could help her friend and escort.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

As Stanley paid the bill for the drinks and the cover charge, Kono said to him, "You know, my mama told me that when you run away from danger, the danger has a habit of following you. I'm not saying that you shouldn't go to England, but just think about that. I've found that saying to be true."

"As I said before, you're very rare," Stanley said in awe, "as you are wise. I will consider your insight."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Danny let Rachel back into the room and they walked to where Stanley and Kono were. "You know, Rache," he echoed Kono's thought, "funny thing about running away is that you take yourself with you. If you're also trying to escape the bad guys, it won't make a dent."

Rachel's face held no emotion, but as the quadruple left the restaurant, all four were deep in thought.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Officer Duke Lukela sat in front of his television set, feeling privileged that he could enjoy himself on a rare evening off. He had his DVD of animated shorts in one hand and his cola in another.

He'd thought about asking his good friend, Kono, to join him as they sometimes did, but her cousin Chin Ho had revealed that she was dating again.

_Good for her, _the prematurely white haired, honey complexioned, part Hawaiian cop thought. He loved Kono as though she were his own sister; in fact, his slightly older sister and Kono were the best of friends just like he was with her.

The policeman went into the kitchen to get some chips. If he had known what was to come, he might have had his gun nearby. As it was, on this rare day off, Duke had his gun on his nightstand in the bedroom.

While he rumbled in the cabinet for a bowl, the figure crept inside from the lanai door and hid inside behind a curtain that was to the left of Duke's easy chair. After putting in an episode of _The Flintstones, _the cop let the cola stream down his waiting throat. When Duke started to nod off slowly, the opportunist saw his chance.

Making sure that his black suit was secure to disguise his entrance and exit, the stranger attached a silencer to his weapon.

And then, he fired.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

**A/N: Just wanted to thank everyone who either reviewed this fic or gave me an "alert". I really appreciate your kind words!**

**I've used a character from the old series, Duke Lukela, who was older in the first series than he is here. I don't own that character; I'm just borrowing him for the story. Also, for clarification, the Hawaiian terms "**_**Ku' u Lei**_**," and** "**papa makuahine", roughly translated, mean "my beloved" and "Earth mother".**

**Reviews keep me going, and so do alerts, so keep 'em coming!**

_**So far: Danny and Kono's date was interrupted by Rachel (Danny's ex wife) and her husband, Stanley. But that pales in comparison to the trouble that's just starting for our heroes.**_

XXXXXXXXXXX

After dropping Kono off at her apartment, Danny started to drive home when he turned the car around and headed to Five 0 headquarters. When he reached the office, Steve was getting ready to leave. The naval commander had his back to Danny while he talked on his phone.

"...yeah, Cath," he said, "I'm looking forward to it...Okay, hon, see you tomorrow night. Bye."

Steve hung up, a smile on his face. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Danny.

"Danno," Steve greeted. "I was just about to say 'aloha' to this place 'til morning. What's up?"

Danny responded, "I wanted to talk to you; that is, I need advice." Steve sat on Danny's desk. The other cop didn't give Steve a lecture like he sometimes did.

_Okay, _Steve thought, _this __**must **__be serious._

"Well," Danny reported, "Kono and I were at the 'Top of Oahu' restaurant and"—

Steve was impressed! He'd guessed correctly: this _was_ serious! "Way to go, Danno!" He interrupted.

Danny paused in his summation of things and peered at Steve suspiciously. "Aren't you gonna give me a lecture on not fraternizing with other coworkers? I know if I were the leader of Five 0, I would," Danny said.

Steve frowned, saying, "Now, see, that's where you and I differ. I figure you're both adults and you know what you're doing. If you want to date, so long as you do it in your off hours and it doesn't interfere with your police work, go for it! Besides, we can't control who we fall in love with."

Danny didn't mention that his emotions concerning Kono were in a twist. He didn't know _how _he felt about her. There was definitely attraction, mixed with brotherly affection, but love? He couldn't honestly say if his heart had taken it that far. It was bent like a pretzel; so many parts interconnecting yet separate at the same time.

Not trusting himself to answer, Danny was lost in thought when Steve prompted, "You aren't having second thoughts, are you?"

Danny shook his head. Whatever he felt, he knew he wanted to pursue this...whatever-it-was with Kono. Steve merely nodded, satisfied with his partner's response.

"Good, 'cause I'd hate for Chin to go to jail for assaulting a fellow officer if you broke things off," the Five 0 leader said in a teasing tone.

Danny grinned slightly. Steve wondered, "What did you want to talk about?"

It was then that Danny became serious and unburdened himself, telling him about the happenings at the restaurant but not revealing Rachel and Stanley's decision.

Steve whistled, commenting, "The possible future wife _and_ the ex? That's every man's worst nightmare!"

Danny snapped, "Yeah, tell me something I don't know!" He paced for a second, then faced Steve.

"Rachel and Stan want to..." he said his next words in almost a whisper, "take Grace away to England."

Steve queried, "What did you say?"

Danny repeated his last words. Steve shook his head in sympathy.

"You can't blame them," he said, choosing his words carefully. Danny looked at his friend, partly annoyed, but mostly hurt.

"Look, Danno," Steve said, "I'm only saying that because they're acting in your daugher's best interest. They're not doing it to be mean or to punish you. They're only trying to protect her."

"But is that _really_ protecting her, Steve?" Danny argued. "Look, let's say they go to England. I can't keep tabs on my little girl, or them...discreetly, of course, 'cause they're on the other side of the world. Suppose someone bad finds out about their going to London or wherever. Who's to say that person won't travel there and shoot them to get to me?"

Steve nodded in agreement. "Yeah," he said sighing deeply. "You raise a good point. I'm just saying they are, too."

"So, what do I do?" Danny asked again.

Before Steve could answer, the phone rang. He picked it up. "Five 0," he said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

In his car and driving at top speed, Chin Ho told Steve, "Steve. Glad I caught you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sensing the importance of the phone call, Steve placed it on the speaker. "Go ahead, Chin," Steve said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chin made a left onto Ala Wai Boulevard and told Steve, "I'm on my way to Queens Hospital."

Steve slammed his hands on the table; Danny started at that. They looked at each other grimly, both wondering who'd been hurt or worse. "Who is it?" the Five 0 leader echoed his and Danny's thoughts.

"It's Duke Lukela," Chin Ho's voice responded. "The landlord found him in his apartment and called 9-1-1. He's in critical condition. It's a gunshot wound. The doctor didn't say much. I'm heading over there right now."

Steve cursed inwardly; Danny thought about Kono. If she heard about Duke, how would knowledge about him affect her?

"Have you told Kono yet?" Danny asked Chin.

"Not yet," Chin's voice told them. "I figure we need to find out more; then we tell her." _Hope she can handle it, _Kono's older cousin thought.

Steve and Danny left headquarters after the naval commander said, "We're on our way. We'll meet you at the emergency entrance. McGarrett out." He switched off the speaker and placed the phone back on its cradle.

They scrambled into Danny's car and he drove off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kono was about to listen to some music on her MP 3 device when the phone rang. "Aloha?" She greeted into the phone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

At her home on the North Oahu side of the island, Nancy Lukela was understandably upset. She had summoned the rest of the family to her house to see who'd be able to go with her to the hospital to see her son.

At age sixty, the woman who'd given birth to him was always a calming influence in Duke's life. His mother was his rock, his stability in his hectic life as a cop. She'd always remembered saying to her fourth out of seven children, "whenever you are in a situation you can't control, take a step back and think. You will see your answer."

She wished she had an answer now. Nancy didn't know how she'd be able to survive if Duke died, particularly since her fourth son seemed to be following the exact path of his father. If Duke died….Flashes of her husband, who was also a cop, danced through her eyes.

Nancy looked at the picture on the wall of her husband as a young man in his cop's uniform as he smiled confidently, mouth open, golden tooth on his left side and prematurely white hair in a buzz cut. She remembered the accident that robbed her of her husband and hoped Duke wouldn't end up the same way.

_Please, Ku' u Lei_, she mentally begged her spouse's spirit, _don't take him away from me!_

Kono's voice snapped her back to the grim task of telling the one Duke loved like a sister the news.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Kono heard about Duke's condition, her first thought was to hang up and hit her punching bag or do some other damage. Tears gathered in her eyes. Inside her heart, Kono screamed a cry of anguish. She wanted to scream out loud but she forced herself to calm down, telling herself that now was not the time.

She knew that Nancy needed a friend and a cop right then. Preparing herself for whatever lay ahead, Kono asked, "Which hospital is he in?"

At least, Kono hoped he would be in a hospital. Her mind conjured up images of him being driven to the morgue. She thought about all the times they'd spent together since childhood; all the ways they'd looked out for each other.

"He's in Queens Hospital," Nancy's voice came over the phone, deathly still.

Kono wondered if Chin Ho and her fellow teammates knew. They probably did. Her concern came back full circle to Duke's mother.

"Do you want me to come over?" she asked, crossing her arms to grip them in a tight embrace.

"No," Nancy's voice said. "Please find out about him! I'm waiting for some of the family. I'll...meet you there later."

"All right," Kono promised. "Take care of yourself, _papa makuahine_." She hung up the phone and drove to the hospital.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

At Queens Hospital, Duke was in the emergency area with all of the other incoming patients. The hospital was busy, like always. Nurses and other staff were beginning the long process of checking the cop in, scanning any identification that he had into the computer.

Danny pulled up in front of the emergency entrance and jumped out of the driver's seat. Steve did likewise on the passenger's side, his jaw dropping at the sight of the bullet hole in Duke's temple.

The blond cop thought about Kono just then. She was bound to have found out about Lukela by now and was more than likely in a very dangerous frame of mind. Steve closed his mouth and approached the desk in the middle of the hospital.

"I'm Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five 0" he said, showing the personnel his badge. "What's the situation here involving this officer?"

One duty nurse looked at the blond, scruffy looking man and the dark haired one holding his badge up like a shield and inquired of Steve, "Excuse me, sir, are you family?"

He said without hesitation, "I'm one of the closest things to it."

The nurse nodded, saying, "We need to get his ID bracelet processed. Can you answer some questions?"

Danny looked over at the body that was once lively and friendly. He'd only met Duke one time, but everyone's account had been the same: he had a sunny personality; a cheerful disposition; a loyal streak a mile wide and a spotless record as a cop. He hoped that his fire would not go out any time soon.

"Hey, look lady," Danny responded, "I don't mean to be rude, but this guy needs aid immediately! Can't this wait?"

Steve told Danny, "Wait over there."

Danny protested, "But, Steve...". When his partner repeated the order, the light haired cop went over to the lounge and flopped down on the couch.

Steve answered all of the questions that he could and provided Duke's mother's cell phone number for those that he couldn't answer. Moments later, the doors opened to admit Nancy Lukela, Kono, Chin Ho and other male and female family members.

Kono looked at the friend that was Duke, and as her dark side conjured up the image of him being declared dead, she couldn't stop staring.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the back in one of the rooms, a cell phone sounded in a patient's bed. The man picked it up and asked, "Hello?" When he heard a familiar voice, he said, "Don't worry!..The deed is done….No, you know I can slip in and out anywhere without detection. I've done it many times before...Yeah, Duke is hanging on for dear life."

He slipped out of the room totally unobserved by the busy hospital staff. If anyone _did _bother to look, he would have been a patient who was newly discharged and on his way home.

The man put up his phone, taking a picture of the raven haired cop who fixated on Lukela, and her friends.

"A little picture for you..." he said as he photographed a wide angle of Duke and beyond him, the others a second time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the sports bar across town, the man who'd pulled the trigger on Duke smiled when he hung up his cell phone. He'd thought he'd fired from too far away across the room, but he hit his mark—and damaged the real target just like he wanted. A ghost of a superior smile crossed his lips. He knew he couldn't be cocky, but he could allow himself a small grin now that the first part of his plan had been completed.

He'd taken Kono's heart from her whether she knew it or not by shooting Duke Lukela. The man blew smoke on his dart board, hitting it with perfect precision as he pictured their suffering in his mind.

Chuckling, he took another dart from the table beside him and, drinking some more beer after stubbing out his cigarette, the stranger's mind conjured up Danny and his ex wife Rachel.

He viciously threw the dart at the board, imagining that it was Danny William's throat and threw another one at Rachel's breast. The villain saw their blood commingling and pictured himself stepping over their many times dead bodies (for he'd stabbed them several times for good measure in his twisted mind,) and burped with satisfaction.

_McGarrett will never recover when I'm through with him! _He thought happily as he went to his table and munched on some buffalo wings while he finished his beer.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

**A/N: Sorry for delays in posting. RL overwhelmed me, so it took longer for me to post. The chapter is rated a slight "M" for profane word(s) in it.**

**Also, this whole fic is an Alternate Universe one. I am pointing that out because Stanley's character is vastly different from the one who they have in the series. (The reason he's different is simply that the ep. had not aired when I wrote him in.) Since he seems to be okay the way I envisioned him as a character, I see no reason to delete him or change him to fit the canon of the series. Sorry if that bothers anyone.**

**There are, however, certain situations taken from various episodes (such as "E Malama"), which fit the parameters of this fic. It takes place shortly after that episode. **

**I'm really nervous about this chapter, but tell me what you think.**

**Summary: Kono deals with Duke's trip to the emergency room sooner than she expected, and the evil one pays Stanley a call.**

XXXXXXXXXX

After several moments, Kono tore herself away from staring at Duke and went outside into the cool air. She crossed her arms and leaned against the entrance to the emergency room. Inside the hospital, Danny had seen her go out and he followed after her. Steve, Chin and the family members waited inside to see what the doctor would say about Duke's condition.

When she got outside, Kono was frowning, wiping furiously at her dark eyes, and refusing to look at anyone exiting the emergency room.

Danny leaned against the wall to her left. Despite the answer he knew she would give, he asked her, his face concerned, "You all right?"

Kono turned baleful eyes to him. Again, she angrily swiped away her tears, saying, "Yeah. Fine."

Danny inquired gently, "You want me to take you home?" He wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her, but he didn't make any sudden moves. Danny knew her enough to know she might not appreciate it if he tried to protect her from her emotions.

"Why would I want to go home?" She asked him, her voice rising.

Forcing himself to be calm, Danny responded honestly, "Because it's going to take awhile to process Duke into the hospital; because his family needs time to work with the doctor concerning insurance and other things alone; because you need to take time out to rest so you can focus on putting the nutcase who shot him behind bars. You know all that."

It was then that Kono lost it. He took her across the street.

"_**Put him behind bars**__?" _Kono shouted, raining more punches on Danny's chest.

She cried, throwing her body into his, sobbing uncontrollably. Then, Kono pushed Danno and pummeled her again with her fists.

She swore uncharacteristically, "I want whoever did this to _fucking __**die**__!" _

Kono hiccupped slightly as she continued crying; her tears fell at a much slower pace. "I've tried to think who would want to do it! Who would take vengeance on a loyal officer like him, huh? Everyone liked him! No one, not even the janitor at HPD headquarters, had a cross word to say about Duke!_" _Kono snapped at Danny.

He looked at her with complete sympathy. She looked up at him with moist eyes

Sniffling, she whispered fiercely, "I've lost so many people, and they were my friends. So far, I haven't lost Chin, or Steve, or…."

Danny knew what she was about to say: _"you". _But she couldn't say it, not yet. He could tell that she was trying to figure things out, just as he was.

"What happens when he gets to someone _really_ close? Someone I really care about?" She asked, her face looking up at him for answers.

Danny knew what she wanted, and he knew what he would say. It was what he always would say, especially to a woman he was coming to care for more and more with each passing second.

Danny stroked her, then hugged her, rocking her slowly until she calmed. He didn't know what he was murmuring to her, but his thoughts were that she be okay; that she survive this terrible tragedy. After about ten minutes, Kono's sobs became softer. She pulled away slightly, and both cops stared at Danny's shirt. He saw the tear stains on it, and looked at Kono with his trademark grin to reassure her.

"We'll catch him, you know that, Kono," Danny said. "We'll do what we always do. We'll get him, and we'll lock him in a hole so deep he'll never be able to dig his way out." Wanting to take her sorrow away, or at least abate it a little, Danny joked, "We've gotta put him in jail so he gets somebody named Olaf who'll have sex with him or something!"

Kono laughed at that slightly, but a moment later, she frowned and walked away from the blonde cop.

"All I can think about is that he could die," she whispered. "Duke could _die _and it would be _my fault!" _

Danny wondered what could make her blame herself for Duke's accident. "How is it your fault?" He asked.

Kono looked at him with hurt eyes as she answered, "Because, I would spend time with him, and we'd watch TV or play games, but this one time, I _didn't! _I had thought about going to see him because I hadn't seen him since being accepted into Five 0, and if I'd have gone with my first thought, I might have prevented what happened...".

"Or you _both_ might have been killed!" Danny finished for her. He grabbed her with both of his arms, forcing her to stare at him as he made his point.

"You've got _no right _to start blaming yourself, none!" Danny shouted. "The minute any person puts on a badge, it's like upping the ante on being a prime target. These things happen, and there's nothing we can do to stop them!"

"I didn't have to go out with you when he was shot," Kono said softly, not even giving any sign of having heard her fellow officer. "I could've _been _there...I could've...". She started to sink to the ground but Danny supported her.

"All right, _stop it; _I repeat, 'stop it'!" The blond cop ordered. Kono straightened up in his arms.

"What we've gotta do is make a list, and check it twice, and find out who's been naughty, not nice," Danny said determinedly. "We have to discover who did this, and why, and put them in jail before they do anything to hurt anyone else! And you've gotta be there for the family, 'cause they're gonna need you."

Kono nodded, processing Danny's words. "And, lastly," he said, "you've gotta be there for Duke. Don't give up on him; don't even _think _about him being dead until it happens for certain! Queens Hospital has a lot of great people there on its staff and they'll figure out how to save him, I _know_ it!"

Kono sniffled, trying to be optimistic. True, Duke had a bullet hole in his head, but if the bullet didn't hit something major, maybe he could recover. It would take several months, maybe even a year, but she would be there with him every step of the way. But even as she told herself that Duke was a fighter and he would take every opportunity to hold onto life, Kono couldn't help her lingering doubt.

"But," she asked Danny in a trembling voice, "what if he doesn't?"

Danny pulled her into his welcoming hug as he whispered, "then we'll face it together, K."

They crossed the street so that they were in front of the entrance to the hospital. As they went inside, a car slowly passed them on the road to the hospital. The driver chuckled, momentarily glancing at the mini video camera he had and the pictures he had gotten of the Hawaii Five 0 cops. His eyes returned to the road and he drove off.

Both Five 0 teammates saw that Duke was not near the entrance. Steve went over to Kono and Danny, reporting, "He's still alive, but he's holding on by a thread. I called the governor. She managed to pull some strings and contact someone who assured her that they'd get a medical team here right away to take care of Duke."

Inwardly, Kono breathed a sigh of relief. She asked him, "What did the doctors say?"

Before either Chin Ho or Steve could respond, Kono saw one of the doctors that had been in the waiting area earlier hurry toward the elevators.

She caught up with him, asking, "doctor, are you the one who is gonna help Duke Lukela?" Danny ran up to stand beside her.

The doctor was putting on his surgical mask. He nodded, saying, "It'll take a few minutes to get the right doctors to do an evaluation. I've seen wounds like his before. When the other personnel arrive we'll have more information for you soon."

Danny inquired, "How bad is it?" The doctor's brown eyes found his. He looked at the blond officer, then the female one.

"I'd rather not say at this time," he said as the doors shut, leaving them to stand and to wonder.

Chin put a consoling hand on Kono's shoulder. She looked at Danny, who cracked a small smile. Kono grinned in return, though he saw the tears beyond the attempt to remain optimistic.

"Cousin, how about we go to my place and I'll fix you something?" Chin volunteered. Kono shook her head.

"No, cous," she said. "I'd rather go back to headquarters and see if I can find anything on anyone who'd even remotely want to kill Duke."

Steve frowned. He wasn't sure if Kono, whom he'd seen with her tear streaked face, was ready to handle the investigation into Duke's assailant. Steve saw Nancy and Duke's sister and brother coming off an elevator, walking toward the emergency entrance.

"You go on and keep Mrs. Lukela company," the Five 0 leader finally said. "See if maybe she can think of anyone who meant to harm Duke. Danny, Chin and I will go topside and see what we can find out."

Kono started to protest. Though she didn't mind being with Nancy and his siblings, the female officer would have liked to be researching Duke's cases at Five 0. The family's knowledge, while helpful, was bound to be limited, particularly since some cases were top secret and Duke hadn't always discussed them with his relatives.

"That's an order," Steve told her.

Kono stared at Steve's retreating form. She wanted desperately to follow him and the others, but she did as he asked. The female officer went over to where Nancy and Kelo, Duke's brother, stood. Kono didn't say anything, but she laid a comforting hand on Duke's mother's hand, then his brother's.

Together, they all waited to see what the doctor would say when he returned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

At her house, Rachel watched the news with Stanley. Grace was tucked in for the night, and both Danny's former spouse and her husband enjoyed the moment of being alone together. He snuggled closer to Rachel and she put her head on Stanley's shoulder.

When the news shifted to the local scene and both saw the reporter stating that an officer from HPD was currently in the hospital and that he was a decorated officer, Rachel sat up straight on the sofa. She and Stanley looked at each other, their minds conjuring up the same thought: _is it Danny?_

Like the sound of a cannon, the telephone rang, startling them from their thoughts.

"I've got it," Stanley said, going toward the desk where the phone was in the other room and grabbing it before Grace woke up. "Hello?" Stanley asked.

A modulated voice sounded over the phone. "Hello, Mr. Covington," the voice said. Stanley gripped the receiver tightly.

"Hello," he said again, forcing himself not to shout lest Rachel overhear.

"Who is that on the phone?" Rachel's slightly worried voice asked, drifting from where she was still sitting. "Is it about Danny?"

"It's just business, darling," Stanley told her, looking back at her through the open foyer. When Rachel settled back down, he turned to the mouthpiece again.

"What do you want?" he asked. "Why are you calling here? What if my _wife _had answered the phone?"

The voice's tone was curt and rude. "I am the one asking questions, here!" It snapped. "Or do you want me to share your activities with your darling little wife and step daughter?"

Stanley knew that this person, whoever he was, held all the cards. "I told you I would pay any expenses because you were inconvenienced when I quit my job at the consulate," he responded. There was a moment's pause, during which Stanley could feel the sweat on his face. He took out a handkerchief and dabbed at his forehead before replacing the red tissue in his pocket.

"Oh, it has gone further than that, Mr. Covington," the voice relayed menacingly. "Much further than that!"

"What do you mean?" Stanley demanded, whispering furiously.

"You think that you can just turn around and run away from this situation, in effect biting off the hand that's fed you and your family?" the voice asked.

Stanley swallowed but didn't say anything. He didn't trust himself to. Instantly, he regretted what he tried to do to make things better financially for himself, Rachel and Grace. Danny had been right to confront him, and, for the sake of his family, to talk some sense into Stanley. So, the British consulate attaché had done the honorable thing: he'd tendered his resignation and he'd gotten all of the money he'd taken from the job and planned to give it to the stranger through one of the stranger's messengers.

But it seemed that the stranger wanted Stanley's blood. He realized his "benefactor" was waiting for an answer. "No," Stanley choked. "I'm not trying to run away from this. I just want everyone to be safe."

"If you truly want them, and you, to be safe," the voice's tone was threatening, "you'll do as you're _told, _and _this time, _you won't involve Detective Williams! I put one officer in the emergency room, and I can do the same to you and your family!"

Stanley's hand was really sweating now. He was holding onto the phone so tightly that he was afraid that if he had super strength, the receiver would have been crushed. Of course, if he had that kind of power, he wouldn't be in this mess.

"What do you wish me to do?" Stanley queried, fearful for Rachel and Grace.

The voice's owner considered. Here was a plum opportunity. The stranger was glad that there were so many puppets on the string. Given time, Danny Williams would beg for death, and with him, Chin Ho, and Kono gone, Steve Mc Garrett would pay. He might even go insane without his _ohana _at Five 0.

The being thought about the next web that would be spun and smiled. "I'll be in touch when I need you," the voice said. Without preamble, the line went dead.

Stanley returned to the couch even as Rachel enveloped him with a hug. "What was that for?" he asked his wife.

"For being the magnificent man that you are," she told him. Stanley held her as if she were a lifeline. Unaware of the vocal exchange that had taken place, Rachel returned his hug and pulled apart moments later.

"Love you," she said. Stanley murmured something similar.

"The commentator said that none of the Five 0 team were involved in the shooting," she reported, "though they won't say who is in hospital."

"Probably for security," Stanley said. Rachel got up from the couch and turned off the telly. Stanley watched her walk toward the bedroom. He pictured her dead, and Grace, and he vowed that it would never happen.

Even if he had to deceive Danny Williams.


End file.
